The "Great Game" has shifted from Central Asia to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States risks misunderstanding the strategic contest. Iran, positioned at the intersection of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Gulf, possesses a civilizational legacy and historical ties that shape its worldview and deep suspicion of external pressure, especially after the 1953 coup.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes, grants Iran immediate global leverage. Historical examples, from Alexander the Great's Persian campaign to foreign interventions in Afghanistan, demonstrate that initial overwhelming force often yields to prolonged encounters with geographic, cultural, and political limits. The current U.S. strategy of military pressure, economic sanctions, and deterrence, while targeting nuclear proliferation and destabilizing activity, frequently overlooks this crucial historical context. The article argues that the Great Game rewards endurance and sustained positioning, not decisive victories, necessitating a strategy focused on managing consequences rather than controlling outcomes.
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